Chatbots & Flows

Build automated conversation flows with the visual flow builder — no code needed.

A chatbot is an automated conversation — like a choose-your-own adventure for your customers. Build one visually at Dashboard → Chatbots.

When to use a chatbot vs. an assistant

Chatbot — predictable, step-by-step flows. Best for FAQs, lead capture, bookings, menu-style options. You decide every branch.
Assistant — open-ended AI conversation. Best when customers ask anything in their own words and you want the AI to figure it out.

You can use both — a chatbot for structured steps, then hand off to the assistant (or a human) when the customer breaks out of the script.

The flow builder is a canvas where you drag blocks (called nodes) and connect them with arrows. The conversation follows the arrows.

Click the Trigger (start) node and pick under Starts when:

Someone messages a keyword — the flow runs when a customer's message matches your comma-separated keywords (e.g. "hi, hello, start"). Choose Exact Match or Contains matching.
A webhook or API call — no one has to message you first. A lead form, your website, or an integration calls in and the flow runs for that contact. Payload fields you map on the webhook arrive as flow variables you can drop into messages and template variables.

Switching a start node to webhook clears its keywords — a webhook flow listens for the API call, not for words customers type.

The start node can also auto-tag contacts — everyone who triggers the flow gets a tag, handy for segmenting later.

Nodes are grouped into six categories:

Flow — Trigger (the entry point), User Input Flow (collect customer information and save it to their contact record), Question (ask a single question).
Messages — Interactive Message (message with buttons or a list; each button has its own arrow out), Text Message (plain text), CTA Button (a button that opens a URL).
Media — Image, Video, Document, Audio.
Logic — Condition (branch based on rules, e.g. "if plan = VIP, go here, else go there"), HTTP API (call an external API mid-flow), Sequence (schedule follow-up messages — each step has its own send timing, and Stop early when rules end the sequence once a contact does what you were nudging them towards).
Actions — AI Assistant (hand the conversation off to your AI), End (end the conversation).
Ecommerce — Single Product, Product List, Product Carousel, Catalog Message (open your full catalogue), Catalog Link (share a catalogue link), Payment (request payment). These pull from your product catalogue — see Commerce.

Go to Chatbots and click Create Chatbot. Give it a name (e.g. "Restaurant FAQ").
Click the new chatbot to open the flow builder. You'll already see a Start node.
Click the Start node. In the panel on the right, leave Starts when on Someone messages a keyword and set a trigger keyword (e.g. "hi").
Drag an Interactive Message node onto the canvas. Connect Start → Interactive Message by dragging from the right side of Start.
Click the node. Write the question (e.g. "What can I help with?") and add buttons (e.g. Menu, Book a table, Talk to a human).
For each button, drag out an arrow and drop on the canvas — a menu pops up so you can choose what node to create next.
Keep building until every path ends in an action node — AI Assistant or End.
Click Save. The flow auto-saves as you go, but the save button publishes it.

Question and user-input nodes can save what the customer types into fields on their contact record:

System fields — name, email, phone. Built in.
Custom fields — anything you defined in Settings → Custom Fields (e.g. booking date, party size). Saved as custom:booking_date.

Saved answers are then available everywhere — in segments, in campaigns, and to your AI assistant.

Always offer an out. Include a Talk to a human option so people don't get trapped.
Keep buttons short. WhatsApp caps button text at 20 characters.
Test on your own number first. Trigger the keyword from your own phone before sharing with customers.
End every path. Loose ends cause silent failures.